


The Silver Fox - The Talk

by sagely_sea



Series: The Silver Fox [5]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: First Kiss, Fox!Shiro, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post Season 7, Shiro is a Rule Breaker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-14
Updated: 2018-11-14
Packaged: 2019-08-23 11:47:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16618388
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sagely_sea/pseuds/sagely_sea
Summary: After a fun time flying the MFE Jets, Shiro and Keith retire for the night to Shiro's room to finally have their overdue talk about just what they are to each other.





	The Silver Fox - The Talk

Keith let out a laugh and heard an echo of it from Shiro from the coms in his helmet as they sped out of the asteroid field in the MFE jets. Keith spun his jet as he exited in an unnecessary flourish and Shiro, not to be outdone, sent his own jet in a large loop before pulling up beside Keith. 

“See, speed over size is fun,” Keith said teasing Shiro. He’d obviously had enjoyed zipping around in the jet and there was no way for Shiro to deny that. He may be commanding Atlas now, but he was still a daredevil pilot at heart. 

“I won’t deny it was fun. But with Atlas, we could just blast the asteroid field apart. There’s satisfaction in that, too,” Shiro said. 

“So you’ll give up speed for the thrill of blowing things up?” Keith laughed. 

“Sometimes… but I’m glad I got to bring these for a spin. They may not be Voltron or Atlas but they can provide a lot of necessary support. And now that I know what they can do, I’ll have to make some new training plans for their pilots.”

Keith smiled at that. Shiro was the best pilot the Garrison had ever known and now that he knew for himself just what these jets could handle, the MFE pilots better watch out. Shiro wasn’t about to go easy on them even if he was a good leader who understood not everyone could fly like him. But in a war, it was necessary to push those limitations as far as they could go. 

“Sounds good to me. When are you going to break the news to them?” Because Keith wanted to be there to watch their faces when they found out just what sort of drills Shiro could come up with. 

“Soon. I’ll want to run my ideas past Krolia first. She’s surprisingly good at creating training exercises.” 

“She is. Though the challenge is keeping her from just making ones where we all die all of the time,” Keith said. He appreciated that his mother liked to push them all and continuously looked for flaws in their teamwork and how to exploit it in training but it was also nice to win once and a while. 

“I’ll keep that in mind. But so far, I’ve liked what we’ve put together,” Shiro said with a laugh. He then shot out past Keith doing a few more fancy twirls and loops in the air. 

Keith shook his head at Shiro showing off and then immediately set out to outdo him. They flew around Atlas doing various aerial stunts while they laughed and bantered until they came up to entrance to the hangar. 

It had been nice to be free of responsibilities for the hour or so they had flown around but as they gently flew the jets back to their spots, Keith figured the reprieve from duties was coming to an end. 

Though there was nothing saying that they had to be the responsible captain and leader of Voltron all of the time. Maybe they could head back to Shiro’s room and watch a movie and put off thinking too hard about anything serious until the morning. 

Hoping to do that, Keith parked the jet, quickly but accurately went through the post flight checklist for them and then exited. He loved his lion, but the jets weren’t anything to laugh at. They’d been fun and the arterillary on them impressive. He was glad Shiro had gotten them permission, or mostly permission, to take them for a test drive. 

Taking off his helmet, Keith moved over to Shiro where he was just finishing up some of his own checks and paperwork. “Hey, finished?” 

“Yup. Feels weird to have to do paperwork and checks again after flying the lions for so long.” 

“Maybe for you, cadet,” Shiro said with a teasing tone in his voice, “But I can practically do these in my sleep. Paperwork and requisition requests feel like coming home in a way.” 

Keith shook his head at that. Maybe it was a good thing he got kicked out, went up into space, and had this crazy adventure. He didn’t think he was the type to be cut out for all that bureaucracy.

“I really don’t want to imagine a world where paperwork feels like home to me,” Keith said. 

Shiro just shrugged. It’s not like he didn’t know what a troublesome student Keith had been. It’s not that he didn’t like learning new things or putting the time in to do it, he just felt a lot of the assignments he got were stupid and not worth doing. Just like he’d thought basic flight formations were boring and didn’t need to be practiced in simulators for hours on end.

Keith leaned into Shiro’s space to watch him finish filling out the form with rather vague details about what he and Keith had done with the jets. Yeah, Shiro was the perfect golden boy until you looked at the finer details and realized some things were missing. “So we tested out the MFE jets acceleration and turning capabilities to better understand how they could work with Voltron and Atlas?” Keith asked. 

“Of course. Just like we tested out their weapon systems to accurately assess what situations they can best be used in,” Shiro said. 

His deadpan look was so convincing that Keith almost could have fallen for it if he didn’t know better. “You’re such a suck up,” Keith said. He bumped into Shiro’s shoulder with his own while he laughed at the bullshit that Shiro could come up with when playing at perfect soldier. 

“You should appreciate those skills. They’ve often been used to benefit you,” Shiro said. He gave Keith a smile before slipping the data pad back into the holder near the jet.

“Yeah?” Keith asked, trailing along beside Shiro. 

“You’re worth it though. The Garrison would have missed out on you if they hadn’t trusted me,” Shiro said. 

“I’m not sure they’d agree that they missed out on anything.” 

“You’re the leader of Voltron and the second best pilot the Garrison has ever seen. Trust me. They know that far outweighs any discipline problems you had before.” 

“Second best?” Keith protested and they both laughed as they tussled each other back and forth. 

They stopped suddenly when someone cleared their throat. Shiro straightened and gave the newcomer a neutral look while Keith glared, and prepared himself to defend Shiro or himself if needed. 

James was frowning deeply at Keith but the look turned more curious when it shifted to take in Shiro. Yeah, Keith was sure the super suck up James was confused on why Shiro was encouraging all sorts of rule-bending with the notorious Garrison troublemaker. Sure, they’d somewhat mended fences and Keith now was part of Voltron and not just a cadet with an attitude problem. But some biases took time to fix. 

“Officer Griffin,” Shiro said in neutral greeting.

“Captain, I didn’t realize you were doing a flight test…”

“Well, I filed the paperwork a bit later than I probably should have. But Keith and I felt it prudent to fully understand just what the MFE jets are capable of. It was a very good learning experience that we plan on putting into practical use in training and then hopefully the field.” 

Keith was a bit in awe at the way that Shiro could spin joyriding into something so professional and necessary sounding. 

“I would have been happy to join you for the flight test. You could have seen how you handled it compared to one of their normal pilots,” James said. He clearly wasn’t fully on board with Shiro’s reasoning but there also wasn’t anything he could do about it. And unlike Keith, James respected authority and wouldn’t push it. 

“You’re right. I suppose we thought we had enough of your flight data. But as the top MFE pilot, it could have been useful to have you along to see what you’re capable of when pushed.” Shiro reached out a hand to give James’ shoulder a friendly pat. 

James smiled up at Shiro, clearly enjoying the praise on his flying skills from the Garrison’s top pilot. It seemed to also be enough to mollify James’ suspicions over just what they were doing with the jets. 

“Alright. I guess you’ll see just how far we can go when you give us your new training plans,” James said. 

“Of course. And actually, Keith and I were just heading in to go over a few things before we forget them.” 

“If you want any extra input, I’d be happy to come along,” James offered. 

Keith looked at Shiro, feeling tense for some reason and hoping he’d say no. 

“Thank you. But it’s okay. It’s late and Keith and I are just going to quickly compare some observations and write them down before going to bed. We’ll save the planning for tomorrow.” Shiro gave James one of his friendly and patient smiles and eventually James nodded. 

“Alright. I’ll see you in the morning.” James hesitated for a moment longer taking in the two of them and then the jets before saluting Shiro and heading off to wherever he came from. 

“We were so busted,” Keith said. 

“I know. But that’s part of the fun.”

“Even when you’re the commander and there’s nobody who’s actually willing to lecture you?” Keith asked. 

“Even then. I’d hate to lose the other officers’ respect and trust. But this was harmless enough.” Shiro said gesturing back to the jets. 

“It helps that the guy busting us looks up to you in the same way Lance did.” Keith knew that Lance still looked up to Shiro but he also saw him as a friend and comrade now. But James hadn’t spent enough time around Shiro, especially out of uniform, to see him as anything but the star pilot and now as a magnetic leader. 

Keith was sure that if it had just been him, James would have pulled the alarm and had him dragged to the brig. Actually, that may be a bit harsh since James had helped him and Hunk check on his family… but he was sure James would have at least lectured him on protocols. 

“That probably does. But he’s a good pilot and seems like a good man. You should try glaring at him less,” Shiro said. 

Keith huffed. 

“You’re not the same kids who got into fights. You probably both have more in common now than you realize.” 

Keith thought that might be possible even if he doubted that James could relate to being half alien and trying to train a cosmic wolf. But surviving the Galra Empire and fighting back against them did forge a certain bond and Keith could at least respect all that James did to help defend the Earth and save their people. 

“Fine. You’re right. I’ll try having lunch with him or something.” They’d never figure out if they could be more than past rivals and current comrades if they didn’t at least try to get along. Keith could bear it for a lunch break. Especially if it made Shiro smile at him like that. 

“That’s all I ask. Now come on, I really did want to go over some things with you about how the Jets handled,” Shiro said. 

“Sure.” Keith walked by Shiro as they headed out of the hangar. The whole walk to Shiro’s rooms they chatted comfortably about their flights and what they thought of the jets. 

 

-0-0-0-0-0-0- 

It was too late at night for coffee but Shiro thought some hot green tea wouldn’t keep them up too long. So he busied himself making it while Keith and him continued to discuss how the jets handled and how they could further use them in future battles. Their pilots had been doing a remarkable job with them, but Shiro had certainly come up with some other ways that could help them fight the remaining holdouts of the Empire.

Shiro poured the tea into the two mugs and then passed one over the counter bar area to Keith. Their fingers brushed against each other and Shiro hesitated a moment before withdrawing his own hand.

He watched as Keith shifted awkwardly in his seat and an odd tension filled the room. They both fiddled with their own mugs for a moment. The easy banter from before suddenly missing. 

“Is this because of the rumours?” Keith asked, clearly annoyed by the sudden change in atmosphere. Shiro couldn’t blame him. The night had been going perfectly up until now, even with James finding out about their joyride. 

But Shiro didn’t think this could be blamed on rumours. Not that Shiro knew which ones Keith was talking about. He knew how much the Garrison liked to gossip and how fast news could travel. And while before it amused him to keep track of it, now he just didn’t have the time or energy. As long as his fox problem stayed out of it and what being circulated wasn’t harmful to their war against the empire or the people working under him. And he trusted those around him to bring that sort of thing to his attention if needed. 

“What rumours?” Shiro asked calmly. 

“The ones that say we’re having some crazy affair… Apparently, if you spend too much time with your friend people think stupid things,” Keith said. He was talking to his mug but Shiro didn’t miss the angered look in his eyes. 

“They’re saying that? Huh... ” It really wasn’t a surprise. The rumour mill had come up with much worse over much less. And to outsiders, Shiro could understand how their relationship could be seen as romantic.

“You didn’t know?” Keith seemed genuinely surprised by that. 

“No. But…”

“But what?” Keith looked up at him, concern clear on his face. 

Shiro hated making Keith uncomfortable or unsure. Shiro didn’t know exactly what it was about these rumours that were annoying Keith but it was an opportunity to clear the air between them and Shiro was willing to take it. If he could fly through space to take on Zarkon and Sendak, he could handle this. Right? 

“I don’t really dislike them. What they’re implying… I mean… Keith… I’ve been wanting to talk with you. For a while now. Since I got back…” He wasn’t going to say since he got back from the dead. No need to make this conversation anymore awkward than it already was. It was also why he wasn’t going to mention vague memories of appreciating how much Keith had grown while gone on his Blade mission when he came back with Krolia. Two years had been very kind to Keith. And for some reason, that memory was a prominent one in the clone’s mind and one that stuck with him. 

It was awkward at times with what he could and couldn’t remember from that time. Especially when someone referenced something that happened then and expected him to know it, forgetting or not knowing that he wasn’t himself then. 

“Oh… yeah… me, too. I mean… well… the rumours don’t make me angry. They just annoy me that people are talking about us.”

Shiro walked around the counter to take the stool next to Keith’s, reaching out to place his hand on Keith’s shoulder in their usual comforting touch. 

“We’re in positions of authority and did help free the planet, Keith. Of course, there’s going to be an interest.”

Keith sighed. Shiro could understand. Keith was growing into a fine leader but his interpersonal skills could still use some work. Not everyone enjoyed the limelight or could handle the pressures that came with being in a public position. Keith had even missed most of the practice the rest of the paladins had gotten by doing the Voltron Paladin Show. It was unfortunate. It would have been great training on how to deal with rumours and fans. 

“But if you don’t want to give them more to talk about, we can spend less time together… or be more discrete.” It hurt to say. But Shiro felt like he had to offer that. 

“No! I don’t care what they say. I never have.” 

Shiro raised an eyebrow at that because he had to rescue Keith from detention on more than one occasion for caring a bit to much about what others said. Most notably from James who still seemed to get under Keith’s skin.

“I mean, I don’t care anymore. Not about other people.” 

Shiro smiled. Having people that Keith was close to was good for him. He had a family now and friends who understood Keith’s unique way of handling things. And they weren't afraid to call Keith out when he went too far. And that Keith loved and respected enough to take their words into consideration and not just lash out. 

“That’s good. You show me how much you’ve grown every day.” 

Keith froze and then nodded before standing from his chair and straightening. As if to show just how much he’d grown. “I’m not the little kid that needed saving anymore. I can hold my own.”

“I’m glad. This is what I always wanted for you. Not the war, but you coming into your own, being a great pilot and a great leader,” Shiro said. He was sure the pride and fondness he felt for Keith were shining in his eyes. 

“I couldn’t have done it without you. You believed in me.” 

“And I always will. You’ve never caused me to doubt my decision that day or any other when it’s come to you.”

“Never?” Keith asked with an endearing tilt to his head as he crossed his arms. 

Shiro was about to reply no but then paused. He kept doubting one decision and after what he just said and how they’d been tiptoeing around it for months it was hard to say never. “Almost never. Keith, I need to tell you something.” He stood so he could move closer to Keith but was careful not to box him in. 

“You can tell me anything.” 

Shiro had already failed once at sharing his feelings tonight but maybe this time it would come out better. “This might not be the best time for it. But I’m not sure there ever will be until the war is over and I don’t want to wait that long.” 

“Neither do I.”

Shiro almost told Keith that he had grown into a fine young man but he didn’t want to sound like he was an old pervert or some father figure. Not right now. He definitely didn’t want to sound like an older brother. He had to hope and pray that he was reading the signs right and that the awkward moments between them weren’t just one-sided and that Keith didn’t just see him as some big brother to look up to. 

“Keith, I like you. And I want to date you.” There. A bit like ripping a band-aid off but he’d said it. But unlike a band-aid there was no immediate relief, just panic. Were Keith’s eyes widening in shock? Was he angry? “I’m not pressuring you. You can say no. We can still be friends,” He hastily added on. 

“Shiro,” Keith said. And before Shiro could even begin to analyze the layers of emotions put into his name, Keith was on him. He grabbed the front of his flight suit and yanked him down into a hard kiss. Their noses bumped and Shiro yelped a bit before pulling back. 

“Idiot. I want to date you, too,” Keith said, his eyes glowing yellow. 

Shiro knew they did that when Keith felt intense emotions. That these emotions were positively lust filled thrilled Shiro. It was nice to know that he could bring that out of Keith with just a few words and a bad kiss. 

“Good. Now kiss me again. But less headbutting.” This time he leaned down and gently cupped Keith’s cheek in his human hand, his thumb brushing over the scar on his cheek. He brought their lips together carefully and slowly moved his lips against Keith’s. 

After a moment, Keith responded. When he licked at his lips, Keith startled and Shiro worked hard not to break the kiss to laugh at him. He had better things to do with his mouth right now. It didn’t take long to coax him into opening his mouth and then he showed him how to tease their tongues against each other. 

When they broke apart, they were both panting for breath and Keith’s eyes were still glowing yellow. “Again,” he said. 

And before Shiro could say or do anything, Keith was pulling him back down to use his newly discovered skills in another kiss. Though this one wasn’t nearly as slow and tender as the previous one.

It was a heady thing holding Keith in his arms and kissing him. Keith was passion and determination in human form and his kisses showed that. They also showed his inexperience despite learning quickly but Shiro found that endearing. And some part of his brain definitely approved of being the one who got to teach Keith how to do these things. Teach him exactly how he liked things and to know that Keith had never done them with others. 

Shiro moaned into the kiss and Keith let out a little growl as he tried to tug Shiro even closer, a leg half wrapping around him. Shiro couldn’t tell if Keith was trying to climb him or was worried he was going to move away. But either way, he liked how it felt. He liked that Keith was just as eager as himself. 

In fact, he might be too eager about this. “Wait... Keith… I need a moment,” Shiro said trying to untangle Keith from him. It took a few seconds but finally, Keith let him go and stepped back. His lips were swollen and damp and Shiro didn’t remember mussing his hair up like it was but he certainly approved of the look. But he didn’t have time to appreciate it. His hands moved to his back to try and get the flight suit undone. 

“Someone’s eager,” Keith said. 

And Shiro actually felt himself blushing. “Not what it looks like. Quick, undo me.” 

He turned around and Keith quickly undid him. Even if he didn’t get what Shiro was up to, it was nice to know that Keith trusted him enough to help him strip. Or maybe Keith just wanted him naked. Shiro really wasn’t going to complain either way. He’d move as slow or as fast as Keith wanted to. Normal dating timelines could never apply to them after all they had shared. 

“Thanks,” Shiro said. He didn’t have time to say more before his tail emerged from the opening and his large ears grew on his head. 

“Oh. That explains it.” Keith said. He then reached out to pet Shiro’s tail causing a shiver to run up and down Shiro’s body and his tail to floof up. 

“Is this one of your episodes or because we did something to bring it on?”

Shiro’s blushed deepened. He definitely did not want to answer that but he wasn’t going to lie to Keith right when they were being honest to each other about their feelings. “The latter. I still don’t have the best control over it. Sorry.” 

“Don’t be. I like it. But uh… is it going to happen every time we kiss?” 

Shiro couldn’t tell if Keith sounded hopeful or concerned about the possibility. Something to figure out as they went he guessed. “I don’t know. I’ve been working on control. But I haven’t been making as much progress as I’d like.”

“Patience yields focus, Shiro,” Keith said. 

Shiro just groaned. He was glad that he was able to teach Keith to be a little less hasty and to take a moment and think things through but that phrase was really going to haunt him at the worst times. “I know. But it would be nice if it could yield it a little faster.” 

“Maybe it’s stress. From keeping things a secret.” 

Shiro thought that Keith meant the feelings he was harbouring for Keith and then realized no, it was definitely still the fox thing. “I can probably agree with stress. I’m honoured by everyone’s continued faith in me to lead them. But it can be a lot to handle.” 

“And everyone would say you’re handling it well. You’re a natural at this, Shiro.” 

“Thanks. But when lives are in your hands, it’s still stressful. Sometimes there’s no right answer to a problem.” 

“I know. But we have each other, our friends, and so many more to help us with it.” 

Shiro gave Keith a small smile and reached up to ruffle his hair, ignoring the protest. “When did you get so wise? And when did we get such big families?” 

“I blame Lance,” Keith said. Obviously taking the easy way out by deflecting. But Shiro knew how much Keith loved the family he had acquired in space, even if it still made him uncomfortable to admit it. 

“He is pretty easy to blame. I still can’t remember the names of everyone. I swear more cousins and nephews keep appearing each time I look over,” Shiro said. 

Keith chuckled and nodded. “It explains a lot about Lance though.” 

“It really does.” 

“Shiro, I think telling the others would help. They accepted me being Galra. They’ll accept you, too,” Keith said. 

There was no need to ask who the others were. He also didn’t need to point out to Keith that it did take some of them a bit to properly warm back up to the discovery that Keith was half Galra. Keith knew that, forgave that, and they’d all moved far beyond that. 

Shiro sighed. “I’ll think about it. I know why I should… it’s just difficult.”

“To admit a weakness? We understand that you’re not perfect all of the time, Shiro. And they could probably come up with more ideas to help you get it under control than I can.” 

“I know that. It’s just… I finally feel like everyone is looking at me and seeing me and not a clone or someone who is fragile. It’s nice to be seen as myself.” It was hard to admit that it was part vanity that made him keep quiet. But also, his body, psyche and soul had been through so much already in this war. He just wanted to pretend like things had reached some spectrum of normal again. 

“I’m not rushing you. You’ve been through a lot but know I’m always here for you for whatever you need. And the others will stand by you, too.” 

“Thank you, Keith.” Shiro looked down into those soft and determined eyes and took a moment to drown in them before leaning in to kiss him. 

Keith gave a sigh and his body relaxed and leaned into Shiro’s as the kiss deepened. When they broke apart, Keith gave him a shy smile and then stepped back. He hesitated and glanced over at the door before shifting the weight on his feet. 

Shiro wanted to ask what was wrong, he didn’t like seeing Keith restless and waiting for him to speak his mind was making Shiro restless in return. He tried to hide it, but with his fox features out, there was no hiding the way his ears dipped back or how his tail fluffed up in his discomfort. Still, Shiro found that he could get more from Keith by being a patient and open presence. 

“Would it be alright if I stayed the night? Just to sleep…. But I feel like we’d both sleep better with each other nearby,” Keith said. 

Shiro couldn’t imagine a universe in which he would turn that offer down. And he frowned as that thought instantly made Slav pop up in his head. Not the type of things he needed in his head before he went to sleep.

“Of course. I have some clothes you can borrow to sleep in,” Shiro offered. It wouldn’t be their first sleepover. But it would be the first one where it wouldn’t be platonic. Not that Shiro thought either of them had enough energy to handle more than some cuddling and kissing but the thrill of sharing a bed with Keith as something more than friends was still thrilling. 

“Sounds good.”

Shiro led Keith to his bedroom and pulled out a t-shirt and jogging pants for him, thankful that it had a drawstring. They’d still be large on Keith but it would do well enough for sleepwear. “Here you are.” 

Shiro went back to the tiny kitchen to clean up from their drinks to let Keith get ready for bed in peace. Satisfied that the kitchen was tidy and that Keith should be finished, Shiro headed back to his room, his tail swaying gently behind him. 

His ears quirked forward to hear what Keith was doing and didn’t hear anything so gave a light knock before entering. “Did they fit?” He asked peeking in around the door. 

“Not at all. But they’ll work for tonight,” Keith said.

Shiro entered and saw Keith frowning at him, the collar of his shirt slipping down the side of his left shoulder. It was cute. And sexy. 

“It’s a closer fit than it used to be,” Shiro managed to get out even though his brain was swiftly shutting down. Keith looked very good in his clothes. Very kissable. 

He turned his focus away from Keith to grab his own sleepwear so his hands wouldn’t be tempted to grab Keith instead. “I’m just going to change and s-stuff,” Shiro said. He dashed back out of the room and into the bathroom before Keith could question it. 

He took a moment to calm down his breathing once he was safe behind the locked bathroom door. Just because Keith and him had talked things out and kissed and were going to give dating a chance it didn’t mean he could just perv on Keith and start pawing at him. 

He was going to let Keith call the shots when it came to this and that meant exercising some control. Especially since Keith had made it clear that the only thing happening in that bed tonight was sleeping. As the older and more experienced partner, he should be able to lead Keith through the start of a relationship without jumping him or acting like a 16-year-old with rampaging hormones. 

Pep talk to himself done, Shiro hastily finished getting ready and went back to his bedroom and instantly forgot how to breathe. 

It was far from the first time Keith and him had shared a bed. But that was before he knew Keith liked him, too. It was like the floodgates of desire had been opened up with their talk and their kisses. 

Now, when he saw Keith lounging in bed, fiddling with a datapad and collar of his shirt still slipping down one shoulder, Shiro couldn’t stop from thinking a possessive ‘mine’ followed by a much stronger ‘want’. “C-comfy?” He asked hoping that Keith was too tired to notice the stutter or how floofed up his tail was or whatever it was his ears were up to. 

“Be more comfortable with you,” Keith said. 

Shiro wondered how the younger man could be so flirty and coy when Shiro knew that Keith was new to all of this. And then Shiro wondered if Keith even knew what he was doing to Shiro just by breathing let alone by uttering those words. Probably not. 

“I do sleep better when you’re nearby,” Shiro admitted. He walked over and slid into the bed. If this was anyone else, he’d worry about hurting them in his sleep if he had a nightmare and lashed out. But Keith’s reflexes were sharp even when asleep and had proven able to hold his own no matter what type of visions plagued Shiro. Shiro would also be sure to deactivate his arm just to be extra careful. 

He also knew that Keith would never judge him for not being strong enough in his sleep to keep the nightmares at bay. Though these days, Shiro suspected that all of the paladins had nightmares at times. He knew Keith did. 

Had hated waking up to find Keith struggling in his arms and crying out. It was even worse when Keith had jerked awake in fear and it had taken what seemed like an eternity for him to take in his surroundings and realize he was safe and it was Shiro’s arms around him. The way Keith had immediately relaxed against him had helped to ease his heart but he hated that Keith now struggled the same way he did at night. 

But at least for tonight, and hopefully, for many nights to come, they’d have each other to help keep the nightmares at bay or at least offer comfort. 

“What are you reading?” Shiro asked as he settled into the bed. He took his time checking that everything on his arm seemed to be in order while Keith shifted about beside him. 

“Just some reports. Nothing urgent. But a few things we might want to keep an eye on,” Keith said. He powered down the datapad and passed it over to Shiro so he could put it on the nightstand. He then gave Shiro a light kiss that Shiro happily returned until Keith pulled back. 

Shiro gave him a smile and finished placing the data pad on the bedside table. “It seems like the list of things to keep an eye on is endless,” Shiro said. But it was better than an emergency in the middle of the night. And they had the people now to task with watching out for things. It was nice not to have to do it all these days. 

Shiro set his arm down beside the data pad and watched as the mechanical joints went lax as he powered it down. He then shifted so he was lying down properly on the bed and Keith did the same. There was some jostling about as they seemed to come to an unspoken agreement that it was okay to invade each other’s space now that it wasn’t a platonic sleepover.

It took a bit for them to figure out where limbs should go and how they should fit together but eventually, Keith tucked himself up against Shiro’s chest and Shiro wrapped his arm around Keith, their hands entangling in front of him and held to Keith’s chest. 

“This is nice,” He said.

“Yeah,” Keith said and gave another little wriggle that if Shiro wasn’t so tired would be doing horrible things to him. It still was, but he was just determined to not acknowledge it. 

“Good night, Keith,” Shiro whispered tucking his chin down so his words brushed against Keith’s hair.

“Night, Shiro,” Keith’s words were slightly slurred, a sign that he was probably more asleep than awake. 

Shiro gave a soft smile and just as he closed his own eyes, the unique ozone scent of space filled the air around them right before a heavyweight fell onto them. 

Keith bolted up and then laughed as he reached out to pet Kosmo. “You’re late,” He said and gave Kosmo ear scratches until the wolf's tail was wagging like crazy. 

Shiro’s own ears twitched in envy. He wouldn’t mind ear scratches like that from Keith, even if he always acted put out by Keith wanting to pet them. But that was also before they were kissing and snuggling up like this in bed. 

“And don’t act like you didn’t know where I was. You just like making an entrance. You’ve been spending too much time with Lance,” Keith accused. He then tried to nudge the wolf to the side so he wasn’t so heavily draped on their legs. The wolf huffed but eventually moved over a little bit, but that little bit was mostly onto Shiro. 

This time Shiro was the one to let out a huff at the extra weight that would undoubtedly put his legs to sleep. He was just reaching out to help Keith continue nudging Kosmo further down the bed when he gave a startled jump. 

“What’s wrong?” Keith asked. 

Shiro’s ears were flat on his head as he looked down at Kosmo who wasn’t paying him attention. Too busy trying to get Shiro’s twitching tail back into range to lick it again. “He licked me,” Shiro said, still shocked by it. 

Keith laughed again and Shiro wished that he didn’t love the sound of it so much so he could be annoyed that he was being laughed at. 

“He’s grooming you. It means he likes you,” Keith said, pride and a good amount of amusement in his voice.

“I don’t need grooming. I have a shower,” Shiro said still trying to nudge Kosmo away. It would have been easier if he had his mechanical hand activated but he wasn’t willing to go through that much trouble just to handle Kosmo. 

“He always just does what he wants. But he’s a good boy,” Keith said. He then gave a yawn and started settling back onto the bed. 

Shiro was sure he was going to wake up covered in drool with legs he can’t feel from lack of blood flow but finds it’s a hazard he’s willing to take if it means he also wakes up with Keith in his arms. 

He gave a long sigh but also laid back down and snuggled back up to Keith the best he can with a giant cosmic wolf still sprawled half on him and attempting to groom him. 

“Hey, Shiro?”

Shiro gave a soft hum to acknowledge he heard him. 

“Do you think this counts as a first date? Because if it does… it was a really great first date.” It was rare to see Keith so shy and soft when he was usually bristling with energy and ready to snap into action. He wished he could see his face, but the words would do. 

“I think it was a good first date, too. It’s going to be hard topping joyriding the MFEs though,” Shiro said. 

“I’m sure we’ll think of something,” Keith said confidently. There was another long yawn and then Keith gave a small laugh at himself. 

It was beyond endearing and Shiro gave his own soft chuckle as he wrapped his arm a little more tightly around Keith and pulled him in as close as he could. “Let’s get some sleep. We can plan our second date in the morning.”

Keith answered by nodding and it didn’t take long for Keith’s breathing to even out. Shiro wasn’t far behind him. And for once, if he dreamed of the arena or his clone, he didn’t remember it.

**Author's Note:**

> As usual with my fics this turned out longer and more introspective than I expected. But I'm happy that the two finally got together. Even if they still have a lot of things to figure out.


End file.
